Jane Feather is a prolific writer with numerous historical romance titles to her credit. For me, her books are sort of hit-or-miss. Some I’ve loved, like Silver Nights, and others not so much. Her latest title, A Wedding Wager, fell somewhere in the middle ground for me.

Serena Carmichael broke Sebastian Sullivan’s heart when she abruptly departed London for Brussels while leading Sebastian to believe she did not have feelings for him. Sebastian, or Seb, the younger brother of the Earl of Blackwater, is unaware though that Serena’s stepfather General Heyward coerced her into breaking ties with Seb and moving to the Continent. It is now three years later and Seb is an heir to his uncle Viscount Bradley’s estate. If he and his brothers can find and marry a once disreputable lady apiece, they stand to inherit his vast fortune, of which they are badly in need.

The General and Serena have returned to London and are operating a gaming hell. When Seb visits the gambling club and sees Serena, sparks fly all over again. Complicating matters between them though is the odious General. He wields his power over Serena like a weapon and takes drastic measures to bend her to his will and keep the two lovers apart. Additionally, he is pursuing an innocent young miss for whom Serena has a sisterly fondness in order to marry into a fortune so that he may settle his extensive debts. Serena, knowing the same tragic fate will befall the young lady as did her mother, vows to thwart his plans and enlists Seb’s help in her scheme, bringing them closer together and closer to danger as her stepfather becomes more desperate.

Serena is a strong female character. In addition to being beautiful, she is intelligent and uses her intelligence to stay one jump ahead of her stepfather. She operates a faro table at the gaming hell profitably and keeps the accounts for the club. Besides her acumen with cards and numbers, she possesses a great deal of compassion. When offered the opportunity to be with Sebastian, she refuses to forsake her friend. She knows her own mind and I found it refreshing to have a heroine who is decisive and pursues her own agenda without trampling other people in her wake.

In contrast though, I did not feel as if Seb was as well drawn. His character felt a little lackluster and I did not feel any real attachment for him. This may be my own bias, but I love to be able to sigh over a hero, to fall a little in love with him myself. And while Seb is definitely not objectionable as a hero, I just never quite connected with him. Perhaps he was overshadowed by the vivid depiction of Serena, but for me his character was bland and the relationship development suffered for it.

There are many aspects to enjoy here, though. This appears to be the second book in a series; however, it works well as a standalone. The vivid descriptions of London, the fast-moving plot, a sweet secondary romance, and Serena herself kept me engaged in the story from beginning to end.